At the same time, something else shocked them.
They came here on orders to learn, and naturally they all brought pens and ink to take notes. However, the villagers were also able to take small notebooks and charcoal pencils to write and draw.
They secretly observed the villagers' records. Although some of the handwriting was illegible, the general content was still clear, and it did indeed contain the key points that Meng Zhao had just mentioned.
This left the four speechless with surprise. After all, this was a village, and the people who came were all ordinary farmers who clearly had never been to school; how could they possibly know how to read?
But there was no time to think about it now, as Meng Zhao had already led them to an open space in front of a back mountain.
"The three composting methods I just mentioned can all be accumulated from daily life. Even if the amount produced is not large and not used in a large area, it is still fine for watering the vegetable garden in the yard or a small plot of land."
"However, if we want to fertilize large areas of land, we need to use another method, which is composting."
Meng Zhao first had everyone spread a layer of plant residue about ten centimeters thick on the ground, such as wheat stubble, straw, and fallen leaves, and then spread animal excrement on top, about five centimeters thick. This process was repeated, with one layer of plant residue and one layer of excrement piled up alternately.
During the accumulation process, Meng Zhao also added some wood ash, which not only supplements potassium fertilizer but also has a sterilizing and disinfecting effect.
During composting, the compost needs to be turned over regularly. In the early stages, it can be turned over every three to five days, and in the later stages, it can be turned over every ten days until the fertilizer is fully decomposed.
The methods mentioned above are all free to use. Meng Zhao also proposed a method that would require payment.
It's a fertilizer-making method that uses human urine, water, and slaked lime, but this method requires purchasing slaked lime.
Meng Zhao's move was also for her limestone mine in Hongnong County. The two places are quite far apart, so it would not be cost-effective for her to bring it to Qingshi County to sell. However, if this method were to spread, even if she could not make cement, she could still sell it to farmers locally to make fertilizer.
Meng Zhao stayed in Shenjia Village for a total of seven or eight days, explaining the specific proportions and amounts of compost before returning to the county.
When Shen Qinghe returned, Meng Zhao was lying on a recliner in the courtyard, his arm casually resting on the armrest, the account book in his hand swaying precariously. He tiptoed over, quietly reached out and caught the account book that was about to slip.
My sister-in-law has been busy with fertilizer matters in Qingcun these days. She just came back and still has to check the account books. Knowing that she is very tired, I didn't disturb her. Instead, I sat on the stone bench next to her, picked up a palm leaf fan, and fanned her while opening the book I had brought.
On a late summer afternoon, the sun was still blazing. Meng Zhao was not sleeping soundly on the recliner. However, as Shen Qing gently waved the palm-leaf fan in his hand, a gentle breeze blew by, and her brows gradually relaxed, and her breathing became much more even.
After an unknown amount of time, Meng Zhao groggily opened her eyes. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of a man sitting beside her and was immediately startled. But when she looked closely, she realized it was Shen Qinghe and couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. "Second brother? Why are you back so early?"
Shen Qinghe put down her book and said gently, "The Mid-Autumn Festival is almost here. The academy only had half a day of classes today, and the teacher gave us the day off. The sun is strong outside. If you are tired, sister-in-law, why don't you go back inside and sleep to avoid catching a heatstroke?"
Meng Zhao rubbed her slightly sore shoulders and shook her head. "No need, I just got sleepy from looking at the ledgers and took a nap. You haven't eaten yet, have you? I'll go make you something to eat." She then got up.
Shen Qinghe quickly reached out to stop her, "Sister-in-law, don't bother, I can do it myself, you should rest."
"You can cook?" Although Shen Qing often helped her out, she had never actually seen him cook himself.
Shen Qinghe smiled helplessly, but there was a hint of confidence in his eyes. "Don't underestimate me, sister-in-law. My mother said my cooking skills are not bad. Today, I'll let you try some."
Meng Zhao sat back down in her chair with some skepticism, watching Shen Qing roll up her sleeves and skillfully walk towards the stove. She looked quite professional, and soon, a fragrant aroma filled the courtyard.
A short while later, Shen Qinghe came over carrying a plate of sweet and sour pork ribs and a dish of pan-fried tofu.
Meng Zhao picked up her chopsticks and first tasted a piece of sweet and sour pork ribs. The ribs were crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with a perfect balance of sweet and sour flavors. She then tasted a bite of pan-fried tofu, its outer skin golden and crispy, its inside soft and flavorful. She couldn't help but exclaim, "Wow, Qinghe, your cooking skills are more than just good, they're almost as good as your mother's!"
"It's all thanks to my sister-in-law's excellent teaching. If you like it, I'll make it more often."
Meng Zhao looked at him with a smile and teased, "I didn't expect that our Qinghe, who looks like a handsome young man, would turn out to be the type of a virtuous husband and loving father."
Shen Qinghe was amused by her words and didn't know where her sister-in-law came up with all these new words.
That day, Meng Zhao was busy in the Treasure Pavilion. Usually, the customers who came to their shop were well-dressed and paid attention to their appearance, but today a man with a stubble beard and casual clothes came in, and he looked travel-worn.
Meng Zhao did not neglect him because of his appearance; instead, she took the initiative to greet him and asked, "What would you like to see, sir?"
The man didn't speak, but looked around at the items in the shop. He stopped when he saw the gift sets, then took out a piece of paper with a drawing of an exquisite double-layered box on it and asked, "Is this also from your shop?"
Meng Zhao's heart skipped a beat upon seeing it; it was indeed the same set of gift boxes she had given to Xiao Youzhi before. She nodded calmly, "This is our shop's 'National Beauty and Heavenly Fragrance' gift box. Would you like a set, sir?"
After saying that, she gestured to the shop assistant to bring out a gift box from the backyard, opened it and showed it to the man. After looking at it, the man immediately asked, "How much is this gift box?"
"Ten taels of silver for a set."
Upon hearing the price, the man's face lit up with joy. Princess Danyang of the capital had a set of such a gift box and was showing it off everywhere, attracting many noble ladies to compete for it. Some were even willing to pay a hundred taels to buy it, but they could not find a seller.
He learned that several ladies from prominent families also had the same item, but those people were not short of money, so why would they resell it?
So he spent some money to inquire with a lady's maid, who said that the item came from Qingshi County in Pingyang Prefecture. So he traveled day and night, by water and land, and finally found the place and the item he was looking for.
Suppressing his excitement, the man said eagerly, "This one, exactly the same, give me fifty sets."
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